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Vital Records & Requests
Please note: Due to the increase of vital record requests, we kindly ask that a request is done in advance by phone call, written statement or email to allow time to prepare the document. Vital requests can also be made through our online payment site Unipay and typing Town of Grafton Clerk. Once the request and payment are received, your record will be mailed to the address listed.
The Town Clerk is the keeper of vital records, including birth and death certificates. According to the Registry of Vital Records, Massachusetts is one of just 5 "open data" states, but steps must nevertheless be taken to safeguard the records and protect residents from identity theft. This office records all Vital Statistic Records (births, deaths and marriages) and issues certified copies of same at a cost of $10 each. Our records date back to the 1800s.
Birth Certificate (1800 to Present)
A copy of a birth certificate may be obtained through the Town/City Clerk's office in the city or town where you were born or in the city or town where the parents were living at the time of the birth. The fee for a certified copy of a birth certificate is ten dollars ($10).
Births of children born in any other state have to be obtained from that particular state because the records do not cross over the state line.
If you are unable to make the request in person, please fill out a Birth Certificate Request Application (PDF) and mail it in with the appropriate documentation, including a photocopy of a driver's license/governmental ID, if necessary, or through our online payment site. The fee for a certified copy is $10 per copy. We will mail the certificate back to you. Please note that we strive for same-day turnarounds of your request, but very infrequently the time to process the request may take up to 10 days.
If you need more immediate access to your birth record, the Registry of Vital Records can provide you with a certified copy if you order online and pay an additional fee. They also provide next-day delivery service for another additional fee. Further, they can provide in-person service over the counter at 150 Mt. Vernon Street, Dorchester, MA 02125. Go to Mass.gov - Ordering a Birth, Marriage, or Death Certificate for more information.
In rare circumstances, issuance of a certified copy of a birth certificate may be restricted due to the child being born out of wedlock (non-marital birth). In that case, only the following may receive a copy of the record: the subject of the record (child), parents listed on the record, the father not listed on the record with documentary proof that he is the father (such as a paternity adjudication, stipulation or properly completed Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage), the legal guardian of the child, or the legal representative of the child. If you are unsure what documentation you need, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Death Certificate (1800 to Present)
Certified copies of death records are available in the Town Clerk's office if the decedent resided in Grafton at the time of his or her death, or if he or she actually died in Grafton. The fee for a certified copy of a Death Certificate is ten dollars ($10).
If you are unable to make the request in person, please fill out a Death Certificate Request Application (PDF) and mail it in or pay through our online payment site. The fee for a certified copy is $10 per copy. We will mail the certificate back to you. Please note that we strive for same-day turnarounds of your request, but very infrequently the time to process the request may take up to 10 days.
If you need more immediate access to a death record, the Registry of Vital Records can provide you with a certified copy if you order online and pay an additional fee. They also provide next day delivery service for another additional fee. Further, they can provide in-person service over the counter at 150 Mt. Vernon Street, Dorchester, MA 02125. Go to Mass.gov - Ordering a Birth, Marriage, or Death Certificate for more information.
Marriage Certificate (1800 to Present)
If you previously filed your intentions to be married in the Grafton Town Clerk's Office and would like a certified copy of your marriage license/certificate, and are unable to make the request in person, please fill out a Marriage Certificate Request Application (PDF) and mail it in with the appropriate documentation, including a photocopy of a driver's license/governmental ID, if necessary, or go through our online payment site. The fee for a certified copy is $10 per copy. We will mail the certificate back to you. Please note that we strive for same-day turnarounds of your request, but very infrequently the time to process the request may take up to 10 days. The fee for a certified copy of a marriage license is ten dollars ($10).
If you need more immediate access to a marriage record, the Registry of Vital Records can provide you with a certified copy if you order online and pay an additional fee. They also provide next-day delivery service for another additional fee. Further, they can provide in-person service over the counter at 150 Mt. Vernon Street, Dorchester, MA 02125. Go to Mass.gov - Ordering a Birth, Marriage, or Death Certificate for more information.
By Mail
To obtain a certified copy of a vital record through the mail, please use the forms below:
- Birth Certificate Request - Mail-In Application (PDF)
- Death Certificate Request - Mail-In Application (PDF)
- Marriage Certificate Request - Mail-In Application (PDF)
Fill out the form and send it to the address below with the necessary fee.
Checks should be made payable to: Town of Grafton. Please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Mail to:
Town of Grafton
Town Clerk's Office
30 Providence Road
Grafton, MA 01519